Vehicles, including, but not limited to, automobiles, commonly have one or more body panel assemblies which form an outer periphery of the vehicle. Body panel assemblies are also used to form various closures for openings into the vehicle (e.g., door panel, deck lid, and trunk lid). Such body panel assemblies are typically made from metal materials and are therefore vulnerable to corrosion if not protected by paint, an anti-corrosion coating or by some other substance, method or mechanism.
The typical body panel assembly includes an outer panel attached to an inner panel. This double panel construction greatly enhances the strength of the body panel assembly. At the location where the outer panel and the inner panel come together, the outer panel is typically bent like the letter “J” around a lower portion of the inner panel such that different portions of the outer panel sandwich the inner panel. This portion where the outer panel wraps around inner panel is commonly known as the “nose portion” of the body panel assembly. The nose portion of the body panel assembly includes a portion of the outer panel that will be visible from the outside of the vehicle (referred to herein as the “main portion”), a sharply curved portion where the outer panel wraps around the lower edge of the inner panel (referred to herein as the “transitional portion”) and an inwardly facing portion of the outer panel that is not visible from outside of the vehicle (referred to herein as the “bent portion”).
The bending of the outer panel around the inner panel forms a cavity below a lower edge of the inner panel. The cavity is completely enclosed and is bounded on three sides by an inner surface of the outer panel and bounded on a fourth side by the lower edge of the inner panel. Because the cavity is completely enclosed, when the vehicle is submerged in an anti-corrosive coating (e.g., e-coating), the anti-corrosive coating material can not penetrate into the cavity. As a result, the cavity receives no protection from corrosion.
Conventional construction techniques entail attaching the body panel assemblies to the automobile such that the cavity is located at the lowest point of the body panel assembly. Over time, small amounts of water stemming from precipitation, atmospheric humidity, and other environmental conditions will enter the cavity through very small crevices between the inner panel and the outer panel. Because the cavity is enclosed, once water enters the cavity, it cannot escape. Instead, the water collects at the bottom of the cavity and begins to corrode the outer panel (typically, at the transitional portion). As the water continues to accumulate, it may reach the lower edge of the inner panel which will then also corrode. If left unchecked, eventually the water may form perforations in a lower edge of the body panel assembly. Such perforations are aesthetically displeasing.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a body panel assembly that addresses the problem of corrosion caused by water accumulation the cavity. It is further desirable to provide various methods for manufacturing such a body panel assembly. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.